The Credit Crisis and the Moral Responsibility of Professionals in Finance

Starting from MacIntyre’s virtue ethics, we investigate several codes of conduct of banks to identify the type of virtues that are needed to realize their mission. Based on this analysis, we define three core virtues: honesty, due care, and accuracy. We compare and contrast these codes of conduct with the actual behavior of banks that led to the credit crisis and find that in some cases banks did not behave according to the moral standards they set themselves. However, although banks and the professionals working in them can be blamed for what they did, one should also acknowledge that the institutional context of the free market economy in which they operated made it difficult to live up to the core values lying at the basis of the codes of conduct. Given the neo-liberal free market system, innovative and risky strategies to enhance profits are considered desirable for the sake of shareholder’s interests. A return to the core virtues in the financial sector will therefore only succeed if a renewed sense of responsibility in the sector is supported by institutional changes that allow banks to put their mission into practice.     

Marketers' Norms and Personal Values: An Empirical Study of Marketing Professionals

This study explores the relationships among marketers' deontological norms and their personal values. Based on the review of theoretical works in the area of marketing, hypotheses concerning the relationships among marketers' norms and their personal values were developed and tested. Data were collected from 249 marketing professionals. Results from canonical correlation analysis generally indicate that marketers' norms can be partly explained by personal values. Marketers' pricing and distribution norms, information and contract norms, and norms pertaining to marketers' honesty and integrity were significantly related to the personal values emphasizing "excitement," "warm relationships with others," "fun and enjoyment in life," and "a sense of accomplishment."     

Information Technology Professionals’ Perceived Organizational Values and Managerial Ethics: An Empirical Study

This paper summarizes the results of an analysis of empirical data on ethical attitudes of professionals and managers in relation to organizational core values in the Information Technology (IT) industry. This study investigates the association between key organizational values as independent variables and the ethical attitudes of IT managers as dependent variables. The study also delves into differences among IT non-managerial professionals, mid-level managers, and upper-level managers in their ethical attitudes and perceptions. Research results indicated that IT professionals from mechanistic organizations were much more likely to report – compared to those from organic organizations – that managers in their corporate environment engage in behaviors considered unethical and that successful managers were more unethical relative to unsuccessful managers. There were significant differences between the upper-level managers and the mid-level managers and between the mid-level managers and the IT non-managerial professionals on certain key ethical issues. This paper discusses the conceptual framework, hypotheses, research methodology, data analysis, implications of the findings, and suggested areas of further research. K. Gregory Jin, D.B.A, is Professor of the MIS Department, Ancell School of Business, Western, Connecticut State University. He has published numerous conference papers, chapters, and articles in such areas as MIS professional ideology and ethics, communication and control, behavioral issues in information systems development, role of IT and human factors in business process reengineering, service learning in database design, systems theory, MIS participant action research strategy, and political factors in IT management. He has more than twenty years of MIS administrative and professional experiences. He holds a D.B.A. in Information Technology Management from George Washington University. He is a member of the Association of Information Technology Professionals and a former member of DSI. Ronald G. Drozdenko, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Marketing Department, Ancell School of Business, Western Connecticut State University. He is also the founding Director of the Center for Business Research at the Ancell School. Dr. Drozdenko has co-directed more than 100 proprietary research projects since 1978 for the marketing and research and development departments of several corporations, including major multinationals. These projects were in the areas of strategic planning, marketing research, product development, direct marketing, and marketing database analysis. Dr. Drozdenko co-authored Optimal Database Marketing: Strategy, Development and Data Mining and also has published professional and academic articles and book chapters. He holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Missouri and is a member of the American Marketing Association, the Society for Consumer Psychology, and the Academy of Marketing Sciences. Richard A. Bassett, D.P.S, is an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at Western Connecticut State University. He was founder and CEO of Bassett Computer Systems, Inc. for 17 years where he was involved with the design and implementation of information systems for hundreds for small and midsized businesses. He has authored several papers and articles in such areas as web-design as a web-master, web-based course design, the security threats and concerns faced by telecommuters, minimal steps required to secure a Local Area Network and the technology decision challenges which growing companies face. He is actively involved with technology endeavors of numerous nonprofit organizations including: The Children’s Center, Bridges of Milford, North Haven Rotary, Communicare, and the Amber Alert System. He holds a D.P.S. in Computing from Pace University.     

金融危机下证券市场网络结构演化的实证分析

本文以金融危机下的恒生指数成份股为研究样本,利用最小生成树算法构建复杂网络,从宏观、微观两个层面分析网络结构的动态变化特征,结果发现:最小生成树长度、直径、特征路径长度均在金融危机初期下降至较低水平,中期在波动中有所上升并逐渐接近初始水平,后期则在经历一番波动后又重回初始水平;网络聚合系数、平均度则在金融危机初期上升至较高水平,中期则维持在此水平并稍有波动,后期下降并维持在较初期更高的水平;在金融危机中期,节点的度较大的股票数量减少,中心节点数量剧增。     

The Corporate Psychopaths Theory of the Global Financial Crisis

This short theoretical paper elucidates a plausible theory about the Global Financial Crisis and the role of senior financial corporate directors in that crisis. The paper presents a theory of the Global Financial Crisis which argues that psychopaths working in corporations and in financial corporations, in particular, have had a major part in causing the crisis. This paper is thus a very short theoretical paper but is one that may be very important to the future of capitalism because it discusses significant ways in which Corporate Psychopaths may have acted recently, to the detriment of many. Further research into this theory is called for.     

Financial Liberalisation and the South Korean Financial Crisis: An Analysis of Expert Opinion

This paper provides a novel analysis of the South Korean financial crisis drawing on the findings of a unique survey of IMF/World Bank and South Korean experts. The survey reveals that over‐optimism and inadequate recognition of financial risks inadvertently led to excessive risk‐taking by Korean financial intermediaries. It also indicates that the sources of over‐optimistic assessments of East Asian economies were mainly to be found outside East Asia and included the Bretton Woods Institutions themselves, Western media and analysts. In Korea, weaknesses in risk management were the result of (i) lack of expertise in relation to handling the risks associated with capital flows, and (ii) disincentives to manage risks emanating from a relatively successful history of government‐provided safety nets for both industry and banking. Financial liberalisation widened risk‐taking opportunities, by allowing Korean financial institutions to both borrow from and lend to institutions outside Korea. It also created additional disincentives for managing risk by intensifying competition and eroding bank franchise values. Weaknesses in prudential regulation allowed bank portfolios to become riskier, especially in terms of increased liquidity risk as a result of maturity mismatches between dollar‐denominated assets and liabilities. The liquidity crisis, which followed the re‐assessment of the South Korean economy by international lenders in late 1997, triggered a full‐blown financial crisis because of the absence of an effective international lender of last resort.     

金融危机应对政策的有效性:基于40起事件的实证研究

本文以20世纪80年代以来世界范围内40次重要的系统性银行危机为基础,对金融危机后常见的15种应对措施进行了系统的实证评价.结果表明,系统性银行危机发生后,大规模政府干预、流动性支持(紧急贷款)、重新资本化、银行关闭和兼并是使用频率最高的5项措施,但大规模政府干预和流动性支持往往伴随着较高的财政成本,而重新资本化和兼并则分别伴随着危机持续时间的延长和产出损失的上升.一揽子担保计划虽有助于提高危机期间的经济增长率,但危机后的经济增长却相对较低.国有化措施不仅会产生较高的财政成本,通常还伴随着较高的产出损失.存款人承担损失和IMF援助这两种措施有助于缩短危机持续时间,但IMF援助通常伴随着较高的财政成本和危机期间较低的经济增长率.     

后次贷时代与全球金融市场的自我救赎——基于非对称信息下的风险转移分析

美国次贷风波席卷全球,引发了更深层次的金融风暴。剖析次贷危机和金融风暴的本质有助于探索化解这场全球性金融危机的有效途径。深入分析可以发现次贷危机起源于疯狂的虚拟资本和荒谬的金融衍生品,金融监管的缺失和非对称信息使得危机愈演愈烈;次贷危机从美国向全球蔓延形成了"负外部性金融溢出"效应,外围国家正在承受金融全球化带来的风险转移。文章提出"金融创新半径"的概念,指出惟有遵循金融资源配置的客观规律才是金融创新的理性归宿;一切金融危机,其实质都是货币的危机,只有建立新的国际货币体系,加强人民币在国际货币体系中的地位和作用,才能共同走出"斯蒂格利茨陷阱"。     

The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Country Attractiveness

This study assesses the impacts of the recent global financial crisis on the relative attractiveness of 125 countries between 2007 2011. Using a strategic model of international expansion that quantifies incorporates countries’ market potential (population size, gross domestic product [GDP] growth, per capita GDP), market risks (economic, political, legal, regulatory), distance (cultural, geographic), it confirms that some countries have become significantly less attractive (Ireland, Greece, Japan, etc.), while others have become much more attractive (Taiwan, Korea, etc.) as expansion markets for international companies. This study underscores the need for a strategic approach to international expansion decisions. The model can be used by business executives as a risk management tool in international expansion decision making. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Stock liquidity and ownership structure during and after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis: Empirical evidence from an emerging market

This paper examines the impact of ownership structure, whether state owned, foreign owned or institutionally owned, on Vietnamese stock market liquidity in different market conditions. We find that state ownership is associated with lower liquidity after the 2008 financial crisis. Institutional ownership shows a weak influence on liquidity in the post-crisis period. During the financial crisis, however, liquidity declines could not be attributed to ownership structure. Our results imply that foreign investors have not yet played a significant role in driving stock market liquidity in Vietnam, which is counter to findings in the existing literature concerning liquidity in more developed markets. Our results are consistent across conventional liquidity measures and a composite liquidity measure.     

全球金融危机下中国经济的可持续发展

本文认为,从我国当前经济形势来看,2009年实现增长8%没有问题.但是,从长远来看,我们应该着眼于中国经济的可持续发展.第一,转变经济增长方式.使经济增长三驾马车中的消费、内需起重要作用.拉动内需,最重要的是提高工资和财产性收入,加强社会保障体系建设,提高人民群众的购买力.第二,调整经济结构.关键是要创造新的经济增长点,要加强创新,进一步发展第三产业特别是现代服务业,如现代金融业、现代咨询业、现代会展业、现代管理业、现代物流业等,要大力发展新能源.第三,提高企业管理水平和技术水平,提高企业竞争力.第四,坚定不移地推动金融改革,坚持国际化、市场化、系统化方向.     

国内关于国际金融危机成因的研究综述

论文发现,国内的相关研究,分别基于金融体系、美国国内经济失衡、国际环境和马克思经济理论等探讨国际金融危机的成因。基于金融体系展开的研究分别从金融体系运作、金融产品创新、金融体系顺周期因素和金融监管等视角进行探讨。基于美国国内经济失衡展开的研究分别从失衡本身、联储货币政策和政府经济政策等视角展开论述。基于国际环境展开的研究则分别从国际失衡本身、国际货币体系和新兴国家责任等视角进行分析。论文分别从以上几个方面对国内关于国际金融危机成因的研究进行系统的介绍和评价。     

金融危机影响中国企业跨国并购的实证研究

文章以2003-2014年中国制造业行业A股上市企业的3710个观察值为样本,实证研究得到:金融危机后中国企业参与跨国并购的概率增加,民营企业对金融危机的影响更加敏感,民营企业跨国并购增加的比例大于国有企业,尤其是大规模民营企业。因此,中国企业要以金融危机为契机,合理进行跨国并购。对政府而言,要加大支持力度鼓励民营企业进行跨国并购。     

当前世界经济危机下浙江省外贸出口的SWOT分析

2008年,美国次贷危机最终引起世界性的经济危机。在当前世界经济危机下,浙江省要增加出口,必须加快建设公共服务平台,发挥产业集群作用,以增强优势;必须大力扶持企业自主创新,推动品牌建设,以弥补劣势;必须重点发展服务贸易,实施贸易结构转型,以抓住机遇;必须努力改善中小企业生存环境,切实为企业减负,以化解威胁。     

The Global Financial Crisis and Its Impact on Australian Bank Risk

This paper examines the global financial crisis (GFC) and its impact on Australian banking risk. An augmented market model is developed to identify changes in listed Australian bank systematic risk in relation to three key events: the GFC's start in August 2007, the market downturn in Australian and global share markets in January 2008, and the announcement of Australia's Deposit and Wholesale Funding Guarantee (DWFG) scheme on 12 October 2008. The study also examines changes in bank systemic risk during these event periods. The Australian market offers a unique opportunity to observe the impact of the introduction of the DWFG in that it lacked any explicit deposit insurance prior to the crisis. Initially, the crisis period had little impact on bank systematic risk while bank systemic risk increased considerably. The share market downturn caused a marked increase in both systematic and systemic risks for Australia's major internationally connected banks followed by a reduction in both systematic and systemic risks with the introduction of the guarantee scheme for all Australian banks.     

The Collapse of a European Bank in the Financial Crisis: An Analysis from Stakeholder and Ethical Perspectives

Fortis, the leading Benelux financial group, had been a success story of successive mergers of bank and insurance companies, with leadership in corporate social responsibility (CSR). One year after the acquisition of the major Dutch financial conglomerate ABN AMRO, the global financial crisis caused the collapse of the Fortis group. The purpose of this article is to use the case study of Fortis’s recent fall as a basis for reflective considerations on the financial crisis, from stakeholder and ethical perspectives. A selected number of key events of the history of the dramatic crisis at Fortis will be analysed from different ethical frameworks. Special consideration will be given to fairness of communication, shareholder activism and conflicts of interests of CEO’s mergers opportunities. A confrontation between the CSR policy and the reality raises the fundamental questions why the powerful CSR guidelines and ethical principles did not help in the assessment of the risks.     

基于风险传导视角的金融危机剖析

金融危机的频繁发生,给全球经济造成严重影响。从风险传导的视角出发,通过对传导源、传导载体及传导路径等方面的深入剖析,分析金融政策风险传导的过程,将给金融政策风险管理及金融危机防范提供新的思路。在对比历次金融危机风险传导的过程中,探索其共通规律及差异,为防范金融危机爆发提供有效地建议措施。     

金融发展与经济增长的实证分析

上海是国内最重要的金融市场中心,是中国大陆地区重要的金融中心城市。20世纪90年代起,上海迈出了建设国际金融中心的步伐,上海已成为中国金融对外开放的窗口和金融改革创新的平台。在国家政策的指引下,中外金融机构优先向上海聚集。自1992年起,上海国民经济连续14年以两位数的速度增长。金融是经济的核心,在上海国民经济高速增长的背后,应该有金融的贡献。上海经济增长和金融发展之间的关系如何,是经济增长导致了金融发展?还是金融发展促进了经济增长?应